Consider this: Get out and vote

HATTIESBURG, MS (WDAM) - With the election date rapidly approaching, we are all inundated with campaign ads, mailers and news reports about the upcoming election. The 2008 national elections boasted the highest U.S. turnout since 1968 and yet more than 4 in 10 Americans aged 18 or older still stayed home.

Low voter turnout has plagued elections for years. It’s a sad truth that people who claim to care about politics never show up when it matters most. Every eligible person should exercise his or her right to vote in the upcoming election.

Regardless of which candidate you support, the citizens need to speak through the election process. As a U.S. citizen, you want a say in where your taxes go and how this country is run. Voting for a person who represents shared visions and goals for your country is an opportunity to become part of the process.

This country votes in November because as a young country, the farmers were finished with the fall harvest and because many people in rural areas had to travel for an entire day in order to vote. When Congress established the current election day, going to vote was often a time-consuming and difficult task, but people were happy to be able to vote.

In this day, driving a short distance to cast a ballot is usually fast and easily accomplished. Like our ancestors, we should be happy to be able to vote in democratic elections. Unlike our ancestors, the process has been made easy for us.

Consider This: Voting is a privilege that many people in the world do not have. Please take the time to be informed about the positions of all candidates and exercise your right as a United States citizen to vote on November 6.

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